Cup palava

The opening regional group matches of the 2012 Hun Sen Cup have been completed but the picture is still as clear as mud. 5 group winners will progress to the next stage, to be played in Phnom Penh, and will be joined by the 'best' three runners-up. The group winners are known already, whilst the FFC will now decide which three other teams will make the cut. It looks like their version of the three next best teams will be Kampot, Battambang and Kratie. The group winners, who are definitely through, are Boeung Ket Rubber Field (probably the worst name in the history of new teams) from Kompong Cham, Asia Euro University, Pailin, Koh Kong and Stung Treng. As for the playing dates of the next round, when the top eight teams from the C-League join the fray with the 8 teams to progress from the opening round, we are still awaiting the schedule from the FFC, which in itself is ridiculous. To not have the competition programme for the country's biggest cup competition, not to mention the start of the Metfone C-League season set in stone, is frighteningly inadequate. But I am not surprised, especially with the interruption of the U-21 invitational tournament in Brunei looking set to throw a spanner in the works of the Hun Sen Cup schedule.
Update: The FFC have announced that the four highest-placed C-League teams will be seeded in the 4 groups to be played in Phnom Penh, at the Olympic Stadium and at the Army Stadium. The groups will be of four teams apiece and the matches will be played between 1-12 February. The draw itself has yet to be made; no surprises there.